4 Leg Sculpting Moves to do With Ankle Weights

Leg days are definitely my fav workout days. I loooove a good leg burn! Not to mention I’m pretty proud of the the leg sculpting I’ve done so far. Lately, I’m attempting to incorporate more body weight or minimal equipment leg exercises into my routines. Because, ya know, I need to mix it up!

Also, I know a lot of you babes struggle getting to the gym on a regular basis. I mean, I work in a gym and still struggle finding time to lift weights. So body weight exercises are key. You can literally do them on your bedroom floor if you have to.

SWEAT just released their ankle weights, which I’ve been using NONE STOP. So as you can imagine, they’ve become a staple piece of a equipment for leg days! So I put together 4 super important leg sculpting moves you can do with ankle weights. You can incorporate them into your workout on a weekly basis. In fact, I encourage it!

Fair warning: your booty will burn!!

Standing Glute Kickbacks: 20 reps each leg

Stand facing a wall or railing to hold on to. Shift all your weight on to one foot and let the other dangle behind you.

With pointed toes, straighten your leg and kick it back while squeezing your glutes.

Repeat the motion for all desired reps on one leg before switching to the other.

This exercise is great for the stabilizing muscles in your leg. I like to use this as a warm up for any type of leg workout I’m doing. By putting all your weight in one leg, you are activating the stability muscles in that leg while actively using your glutes on the other!

Donkey Kicks: 20 reps each leg

Start on your hands and knees with your hands directly under your shoulders.

While keeping it bent, raise your right leg upwards, leading with your heel, until your thigh is a little more than parallel to the ground.

Pause at the top for two seconds while squeezing your glutes, then return to the starting position.

Donkey kicks are great for really isolating the glute muscle with an emphasis on lifting the booty! By having your weight evenly distributed on all fours, you become MUCH more stable. That way, you can put all your focus and energy into letting that booty buuuurn! This exercise is a great workout finisher. Sometimes I do this until failure after a heavy leg workout.

Lying Inner Thigh Raises: 20 reps each leg

Lie on your right side, straighten your right leg out on the mat, and rest your forearm on the ground. Cross your left leg other the front of your right leg.

Squeeze your inner thigh while lifting your right leg off of the ground.

Hold at the top for two seconds before returning to starting position.

Great for inner thigh sculpting and activation! I like to pair this with lateral lunges, that way I’m contracting AND stretching out the inner thighs. The adductors are very sensitive muscles that can be injured easily, so it’s important to stretch them after using them! So this combo of exercises is perfect. You can even throw in some pulses after your finish your set for that extra burn!

Side Plank Leg Lift: 20 reps each side

Start in a side plank position, resting on your forearm and your feet stacked on top of each other.

Make sure to lift the hips away from the ground, engaging your obliques to keep you stable.

Lift your top leg off of the bottom leg, making sure to keep your hips lifted and your core engaged.

Hold your leg up for the count of 2 before lowering it down to meet your bottom leg.

One of my personal favorite exercises! Also one of the most difficult. Not only are we working the outer thigh, but also the core as well. Honestly, it’s pretty much a full body move. HA. If this exercise is too difficult, feel free to drop down to your side instead of holding a side plank.

I do a combination of these 4 leg sculpting moves weekly! Great getting a good burn and toning those legs. I’m loving my SWEAT ankle weights too! They’re the perfect weight and don’t bother my ankles–some ankle weights can be pretty rough and rub my ankles raw. You can buy your own pair on SWEAT now!